When Super Sue got me into contact with Jeremy Struemph I really had no idea what a great friendship this was going to become. However, Jeremy provides an adventure of his own. You see, he works at iFly in Overland Park, KS where you can do indoor skydiving! Super Sue went and of course did the “You must do this for your blog!” hook line making it impossible to once again say no. I have to say that I had never looked at any other adventures before jumping into them, but this one I did investigate a minimal amount because for some reason this was proving to cause more anxiety then snorkeling did and we all know that I was in tears before I did that. So I guess I peeked because I didn’t want to be quite so hysterical this time….ha! I watched the videos of Jeremy jumping from planes and helping people to safety on the internet, and I still didn’t quite get why so many people liked this activity. Maybe because my doubtful rationality side was kicking in on overdrive with thoughts of “I don’t understand how watching the land below you come at you before you crash land could possibly be fun…” but it was time to be less doubtful. Doubtful rationality keeps us safely tucked away in our comfort zones and quite frankly that’s not what Chasing Stormi is about. So I watched the video explaining how the tunnel worked and called it a day. It was time to say yes and jump. No more letting doubt win. It was time to go back to having faith in myself again. So I contacted Jeremy and set a date. When you first meet Jeremy you like him right away. He’s full of energy and reassurance and you immediately know you’re in good hands. I did the classroom first where you learn how to position yourself and the hand signals they use in the tunnel since there’s no way to hear each other. Then I got to watch a class before me fly so I could see what works and what doesn’t work. The first thing I noticed was how attentive and amazing each instructor was with each group of students. They are all fun and reassuring and make it easy to feel comfortable with them to the point that no matter who you get you know you’re in great hands. They love what they do and their number one goal is for you to love your experience too. A goal they succeed at with ease! So yeah….nerves had my stomach tightening, my heart racing, and my breathing increasing but I was not hysterical like I was snorkeling. So either I was getting better at this “stepping out of your comfort zone” thing, or I was just at such great ease knowing I was in very capable hands. I’d like to say it was a bit of both personally…. So I suited up and giggle at Jeremy’s ongoing cheerleading routine to get me pumped up. He, like all of his co-workers, love to get their students pumped and excited because if we have a great time then it makes their life that much more enjoyable. A feeling I am well too familiar with when it comes to working with kids myself. We’ve got this! I took a deep breath, stood into position, and leaned into the wind as instructed. The force of the wind that hits you is not only deafening but it’s powerful and makes your cheeks flap against your face like all those silly cartoons you see falling through the sky on tv. But the anxiety quickly exited my body and I actually found myself enjoying it despite one of my greatest fears it to plummet through the sky to my possible death. HA! So there I was. Flying. And LOVING IT! A cool thing they do is when you are done and walking to the end of the bench to take a seat everyone high fives you with congratulations along the way. On your second round you actually fly with the instructor circling towards the top of the tube. In the beginning I had said that wasn’t going to happen. Jeremy smiled and said we’d wait and see how the first round went, knowing that even someone like me would be so much in love that I would easily be willing to circle to the top with him. I just didn’t know it yet. But sure enough I was TOTALLY ready! And so we did. When you’re done you feel exhilarated by your accomplishment and are actually so tired and relaxed that you have NO trouble sleeping that night! You even have the option of getting pictures and video of your experience to keep for a lifetime! Although it was funny to bust the other instructor that was making faces and whatnot behind me knowing he was on camera and I couldn’t see him until I viewed the video….Yes. These people love their jobs and make sure you have the best experience by not only letting you fly in a wind tunnel giving you a realistic skydiving experience, but they also make sure to position you just right so you get great photos and videos to share proudly with your friends and family. So would I jump out of an airplane?....I’m still thinking that’s a hard limit. HOWEVER, if I get another opportunity to fly at iFly then I am SO THERE! What an amazing experience to have! Thanks again iFly KC!

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Chasing Stormi

A girl just trying to find her way, stepping outside of her comfort zone, trying new things, and making new friends along the way!

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